An Arkadelphia woman is in intensive care in a Little Rock hospital after an off-duty city employee allegedly struck her with his vehicle as she was crossing the street. The city employee was apparently intoxicated.
Fifty-three-year-old William Allen Harris, a customer service representative for the Arkadelphia Water Department, was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima Friday night when he struck Clara Bowie, 46, of 222 N. 20th St. Apt. 24, according to a police report on file at the Arkadelphia Police Department.
The report indicates that Harris was pulling out onto Pine Street from 20th Street when he struck Bowie.
Police were called to the scene at about 9:24 p.m. and found that Bowie lay “unresponsive” on the street. Harris was at the scene and, according to the report, admitted that he had been drinking. Patrolman James Shearin wrote in the report that he noticed an odor of intoxicants about Harris’ person, and other signs of intoxication. Shearin asked Harris to submit a breath sample, but Harris said a breathalyzer test would not be needed since he knew he was over the legal limit, the report said.
Bowie was transported by ambulance to Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia. The report did not indicate the extent of her injuries following the accident.
Meanwhile, Harris was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. At the Clark County Detention Center, Harris submitted a breath sample. The results showed Harris had a blood alcohol content of 0.13 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Police Chief Al Harris said William Harris (the two are not related) was driving a personal vehicle and that the accident did “not [happen] during work hours. It was well after work hours.”
Al Harris said Bowie was in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock on Monday afternoon. Asked about Bowie’s condition, Al Harris said, “I can’t tell you that. I have no idea. There were head injuries, but I couldn’t be any more specific than that.”
Because of privacy laws under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a spokesperson at the hospital could not release Bowie’s condition or provide any additional details.
Al Harris said William Harris was “completely cooperative with the [arresting] officer” and added that there are no additional charges against him pending.
Al Harris said police do not suspect William Harris was speeding since he had been stopped at the intersection prior to striking Bowie.
“I’m hoping she recovers,” Al Harris said of Bowie.
Dorinda Suitor, utilities manager, said she is not considering firing William Harris. “He was not in a company vehicle and was not on company time,” she said. “Unless there is something in the law or other personnel policy, [William Harris is] not going to be considered for termination.” Suitor said William Harris is a “long-term employee and a good employee, and there is no real reason or grounds to terminate him unless there’s something in the law I do not know about.”
Even if William Harris is convicted for the DWI, Suitor said, he will still be able to drive city vehicles since the Arkansas Municipal League insurance, which covers the city and its employees, insures drivers even if they have a DWI on their record. “We have no insurance problems with him driving any of our vehicles,” Suitor said.
Suitor said she did not have much information about the details of the accident, but said it is “unfortunate” that it happened.
City Manager Jimmy Bolt said he knew of no personnel policy that makes a misdemeanor arrest a firing offense. “I would have to review [the policy],” he said. “There are a couple of vague things in there about how to handle on- and off-duty conduct.”
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An Arkadelphia woman is in intensive care in a Little Rock hospital after an off-duty city employee allegedly struck her with his vehicle as she was crossing the street. The city employee was apparently intoxicated.
Fifty-three-year-old William Allen Harris, a customer service representative for the Arkadelphia Water Department, was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima Friday night when he struck Clara Bowie, 46, of 222 N. 20th St. Apt. 24, according to a police report on file at the Arkadelphia Police Department.
The report indicates that Harris was pulling out onto Pine Street from 20th Street when he struck Bowie.
Police were called to the scene at about 9:24 p.m. and found that Bowie lay “unresponsive” on the street. Harris was at the scene and, according to the report, admitted that he had been drinking. Patrolman James Shearin wrote in the report that he noticed an odor of intoxicants about Harris’ person, and other signs of intoxication. Shearin asked Harris to submit a breath sample, but Harris said a breathalyzer test would not be needed since he knew he was over the legal limit, the report said.
Bowie was transported by ambulance to Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia. The report did not indicate the extent of her injuries following the accident.
Meanwhile, Harris was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. At the Clark County Detention Center, Harris submitted a breath sample. The results showed Harris had a blood alcohol content of 0.13 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Police Chief Al Harris said William Harris (the two are not related) was driving a personal vehicle and that the accident did “not [happen] during work hours. It was well after work hours.”
Al Harris said Bowie was in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock on Monday afternoon. Asked about Bowie’s condition, Al Harris said, “I can’t tell you that. I have no idea. There were head injuries, but I couldn’t be any more specific than that.”
Because of privacy laws under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a spokesperson at the hospital could not release Bowie’s condition or provide any additional details.
Al Harris said William Harris was “completely cooperative with the [arresting] officer” and added that there are no additional charges against him pending.
Al Harris said police do not suspect William Harris was speeding since he had been stopped at the intersection prior to striking Bowie.
“I’m hoping she recovers,” Al Harris said of Bowie.
Dorinda Suitor, utilities manager, said she is not considering firing William Harris. “He was not in a company vehicle and was not on company time,” she said. “Unless there is something in the law or other personnel policy, [William Harris is] not going to be considered for termination.” Suitor said William Harris is a “long-term employee and a good employee, and there is no real reason or grounds to terminate him unless there’s something in the law I do not know about.”
Even if William Harris is convicted for the DWI, Suitor said, he will still be able to drive city vehicles since the Arkansas Municipal League insurance, which covers the city and its employees, insures drivers even if they have a DWI on their record. “We have no insurance problems with him driving any of our vehicles,” Suitor said.
Suitor said she did not have much information about the details of the accident, but said it is “unfortunate” that it happened.
City Manager Jimmy Bolt said he knew of no personnel policy that makes a misdemeanor arrest a firing offense. “I would have to review [the policy],” he said. “There are a couple of vague things in there about how to handle on- and off-duty conduct.”
